[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 20076-20078]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM COLE

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2009

  Mr. COLE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Department of 
Defense Appropriations Act, 2010:
  Name: Advanced Autonomous Robotic Inspections for Aging Aircraft
  Bill #: H.R. 3326
  Account: Operations & Maintenance, Air Force
  Legal Name of requesting entity: Veracity Technology Solutions, LLC
  Address of requesting entity: 2701 Liberty Parkway, Suite 311; 
Midwest City, OK 73110
  Description: Provide an earmark of $1 million for the purposes of 
providing military aviation with an inspection system vehicle which 
will be utilized for the autonomous gathering of nondestructive 
inspection (NDI) data for the detection of corrosion and cracking on 
the KC-135 wing skins as well as other aging aircraft. This funding 
will allow Veracity Technology Solutions (VTS) to complete development 
and implement a precise and cost-effective autonomous vehicle that can 
provide these needed inspection results. This system will allow for 
condition assessment of aircraft structures, as well as continuous 
assessment through the historical comparison of previous and present 
inspection results. Currently the method for inspecting the wing skins 
of the KC-135 aircraft is with traditional NDI methods that are both 
antiquated and time consuming. Veracity, in collaboration with the Air 
Force have proven the ability to reduce the time of inspection on the 
KC-135 wing skin by a factor of 5X through the successful demonstration 
of a semi-autonomous automated inspection vehicle. With the addition of 
these

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congressional funds, Veracity will be able to implement a fully 
automated autonomous robotic vehicle that has the capability to inspect 
for corrosion as well as crack detection around fasteners. This system 
will allow maintenance personnel to set up the automated vehicle, 
perform the scan, analyze data real time, and perform visual inspection 
of fasteners which is currently not available to maintenance personnel. 
This system will decrease the maintenance downtime and unnecessary 
refurbishment of serviceable components. Without this system there is 
the increased risk of the catastrophic failure of these critical 
components. This project will provide a state-of-the-art NDI system and 
training that have the potential to decrease costs while assuring 
safety and airworthiness. This plan provides information regarding the 
development and deployment of two platforms. The first 60% of the 
granted earmark funds will be utilized on the deployment of the 
Autonomous Robot with the Eddy Current and Ultrasonic Inspection 
capabilities. The remaining 40% will be utilized for the deployment of 
additional proof of project concept between the KC-135 program office 
and Veracity. These inspections will help eliminate the need for 
hazardous x-ray technology, reduce idle workers, due to the use of x-
ray technology, reduce flow delays, and greatly improve efficiency. 
There are as many as 126 inspections on the KC-135 that are meeting 
these criteria according to Boeing and Air Force officials, which are 
expected to save more than $1.5 million annually. If this inspection 
were to be deployed fleet-wide the savings could grow to more than $55 
million. These requirements are based upon US Air Force's needs for a 
more reliable and sensitive inspection system.
  Name: Joint Fires and Effects Trainer System Enhancements
  Bill #: H.R. 3326
  Account: RDT&E, Army
  Legal Name of requesting entity: Creative Technologies, Inc.
  Address of requesting entity: 6255 W. Sunset Blvd., Suite 716; Los 
Angeles, CA 90028
  Description: Provide an earmark of $2,500,000 for the purpose of 
testing and developing a handheld interactive application that will 
develop the capability of the Artillery branch to export the JFETS 
Training capability to forces not located at Fort Sill, OK. The 
application of precision fires and effects is an essential capability 
not only in current theaters of war, but in virtually the entire 
spectrum of conflict for which US defense forces prepare. Live fire 
training cost and environmental impact are limiting factors in the 
volume and frequency of Soldier training in this domain. Virtual 
simulation training for Joint Fires and Effects is intended to mitigate 
these limitations, for both initial training and currency, by reducing 
total cost and increasing the total number of training repetitions 
Soldiers may experience. The Joint Fires and Effects Trainer System 
(JFETS) at the Fires Center of Excellence (FCoE), Fort Sill, Oklahoma 
has received funding to develop an excellent prototype; Joint Forces 
Command rates the JFETS Close Air Support Module as the best in 
existence. The current system design, however, limits throughput and, 
as a result, Instructors at the FCoE are unable to use the system to 
its fullest potential for their classes. Accordingly, the FCoE Fires 
Battle Lab in 2008 commissioned a study to increase throughput in the 
JFETS Open Terrain Module (OTM): a key venue for Call For Fire 
Training. The results of this study propose a technological enhancement 
that will allow a single Instructor to manage nine concurrent discrete 
call for fire training sessions in the OTM facility: an 800% increase 
in efficiency over the current configuration. While the underlying 
technology in the proposed solution is mature and sound, the question 
remains as to whether the enhancement will work as planned. In effect, 
there is a need to determine whether a single instructor will be able 
to manage nine concurrent sessions as predicted. Notwithstanding this 
increase in efficiency, the JFETS OTM will still be, relatively 
speaking, a scarce resource at the FCoE. Additionally, students will 
need to review training received on the OTM and other JFETS modules in 
the field after training in the school house. To maximize the value of 
Soldier training time in the JFETS, an interactive application is 
required to drill Soldiers in the five essential elements of accurate 
predictive fires to prepare them before they train in the immersive 
environment and reinforce that training once they leave. An extension 
to the JFETS suite of capabilities, the application will be designed to 
work on a variety of platforms. FCoE leadership has expressed interest 
in an application to work on a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), 
Smartphone or other portable platform in addition to a desktop 
computational environment.
  Name: Tactical Metal Fabrication System (TACFAB)
  Bill #: H.R. 3326
  Account: RDT&E, Army
  Legal Name of requesting entity: IMTEC
  Address of requesting entity: IMTEC Plaza, 2401 North Commerce; 
Ardmore, OK 73401
  Description: Provide an earmark of $1 million for TacFab. 63% will be 
used for a Shelterized Integration of a Low-End (TacFab) Capability. An 
additional 37% will be used for the Integration of Full-Up Deployable 
(TacFab) Capability. TacFab demonstrates a tactically mobile, rapid 
metal fabrication capability that will be a companion unit to the MPH 
to provide spare and replacement parts to our Warfighters in theater, 
and also as a stand-alone metal casting resource provided to domestic 
organic Army depots and industrial facilities in support of RESET 
activities. TacFab provides a containerized, mobile foundry to the U.S. 
Army, allowing deployed forces to produce spare and replacement parts 
in the field. This cuts the order time from weeks or months to 24 
hours. The Army uses its Rapid Manufacturing System to provide deployed 
forces with critical spare and replacement parts to keep its tanks, 
helicopters, guns and other systems operating under the extreme wear 
and tear of battle. The system provides troops on the ground with parts 
that they would otherwise need to wait weeks or months for, if they 
were being ordered through the standard supply chain and shipped to the 
front. However, because the existing system does not include a mobile 
foundry, the system cannot address the need for cast parts, which make 
up a large percentage of needs. The Tactical Metal Fabrication (TacFab) 
System will provide a complementary capability to the RMS to cut the 
time required to produce parts by 90%.
  Name: UAV/UAS Test Facility
  Bill #: H.R. 3326
  Account: RDT&E, DefenseWide
  Legal Name of requesting entity: University Multispectral Labs
  Address of requesting entity: 500 West South Avenue; Ponca City, OK 
74601
  Description: Provide an earmark of $3 million to advance the National 
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/System (UAV/S) Test Facility initiated in 
FY2009. The test facility is located adjacent to restricted Fort Sill, 
Oklahoma airspace and established on behalf of the United States 
Special Operations Command. 68% is for material, engineering support, 
range equipment and renovations, and 32% is for further creation of 
high-technology jobs consisting of technicians, engineers and 
scientists. Facility will also support Army Fires Center of Excellence 
and foster a positive impact on the surrounding areas. The UML has a 
fully executed Memorandum of Agreement with the Garrison Commander 
supported by the Fort Sill Commanding General.
  Name: Infrared Materials Laboratory
  Bill #: H.R. 3326
  Account: RDT&E, Navy
  Legal Name of requesting entity: Amethyst Research Inc.
  Address of requesting entity: 1405 4th Ave. NW, Box 345; Ardmore, OK 
73401
  Description: Provide an earmark of $3.5 million for advanced infrared 
systems development. Approximately 83% is for research, development, 
testing and evaluation; approximately 14% is for research equipment 
lease, and approximately 3% is for building lease. This project has the 
support of key officials within the Department of Defense and from U.S. 
suppliers of key defense-related technologies to the U.S. Government. 
This request is consistent with the intended and authorized purpose of 
the ONR, RDTE, N account. While not required to do so, the State of 
Oklahoma and the host community City of Ardmore have committed non-
federal dollars toward this national priority. The Infrared Materials 
Laboratories are overcoming the technical and financial barriers 
preventing the use of HgCdTe (Mercury Cadmium Telluride) on large-
format Si (Silicon) substrate infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) and 
also are resolving related DoD challenges of the highest national 
priority. This research, performed by a highly respected team of former 
NVESD, Oak Ridge National Lab, Sandia National Labs, General Electric, 
ONR, and USAF scientists at Amethyst Research Inc. as well as at 
collaborating research universities and DoD equipment manufacturers 
will: (1) dramatically lower the cost of high-performance IR devices 
for DoD applications, (2) create a stable, domestic supply of wafers 
for IRFPA fabrication at all major U.S. infrared houses, and (3) put 
superior technologies into the hands of the U.S. warfighter more 
quickly. DOD requirement for funds is: ``Passivation of Dislocation 
Defects by Hydrogenation for High Performance LWIR HgCdTe on Si''--
NVESD W15P7T-05-C-F401; ``Si Based Large Area Substrates for HgCdTe 
Infrared Detectors''--ARO W911 NF-06-0074; ``Defect Mapping of Wafers 
for Increasing Yield and Operability of Infrared

[[Page 20078]]

Focal Plane Arrays''--MDA, Pending; ``Passivation Technologies for 
Improved Operability and Radiation Hardness of VLWIR HgCdTe Focal Plane 
Arrays''--MDA HQ006-07-C-7705, B063-025-044. This program will 
eliminate complete DoD dependency on a single, foreign source for a key 
component of infrared sensors. Further, this program will reduce DoD's 
cost to acquire and deploy high-performance IRFPAs (including 3D LADAR 
technologies) and improve the ability of DoD assets to distinguish, 
track, and target well-camouflaged enemy assets in highly cluttered 
environments and in space. The goal of this program is to reduce by a 
factor of five (5) DoD's current $200,000 cost per IRFPA. DoD estimates 
that the program's integral proprietary defect characterization system 
alone will result in taxpayer savings of $100,000,000 over 10 years. 
This effort is rooted in proprietary hydrogenation, wafer mapping and 
repair techniques that dramatically improve the operability and yield 
of infrared focal plane arrays used in military and homeland security 
applications. It will result in the production of large-area HgCdTe on 
Si wafer substrates and defect mapping and repair/mitigation on 
existing CdZnTe wafer substrates. The major U.S. infrared manufacturing 
houses are collaborating with Amethyst Research Inc. on this effort. 
The President of the United States has determined that certain 
components of this program are of the highest national priority.

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